Jamaicans Kobe Lawrence and Christopher Young were first and second, respectively, in the Under-20 boys discus throw, muscling their way to the top of the field as the 49th Carifta Games got underway at National Stadium on Saturday.

Lawrence, who led from the start, threw 60.77m to win, while Young took silver with 54.38m in his second final of the day.

Trinidad and Tobago’s Jaden James was third with 52.28m.

Lawrence opened with 56.78m to set the tone for the competition and went further with a 59.22-m effort in the second round before getting his best in the fifth round.

James struggled, having fouled both of his first two throws needed to stay in the competition, and got 44.18m in the third, seventh best at the time before getting the bronze on his final throw after again fouling the first efforts in the final.

Trinidad and Tobago’s Aaron Antoine won the Under-20 high jump in dramatic fashion, clearing a personal best 2.16m on his third attempt after Jamaica’s Brandon Pottinger, who led up to then, failed to get over the height.

The Trinidadian settled for the height as Pottinger had to settle for the silver medal with a clearance of 2.14m, and Verrol Sam of St Vincent was third with 2.00m.

Keyshawn Strachan of The Bahamas set the first record of the championships, winning the Under-20 boys javelin with a record 79.89m on his first attempt in the morning session.

It was a new personal best for Strachan, beating his previous 78.63m and also extending his World Under-20 lead in the event and surpassing the old record of 78.28m set in 2016 by Anderson Peters of Grenada.

Trinidad and Tobago’s Anthony Diaz took the silver with 63.69m, and Grenada’s Cameron Anthony the bronze with 60.80m as Jamaica’s Christopher Young was fourth with 58.84m.

— Paul Reid